THE BYRON SHIRE
Spring Fair
Volume 27 #14 Tuesday, September 11, 2012 Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
Inside this week
2012
PAGES 28-29
PRE-LOADED AND READY TO ROLL UP
CAB AUDIT
Politics with Mungo MacCallum – p10
Mandy Nolan’s take on the Fifty Shades Of Grey – p21
‘Nobody Beats Dan Murphy’s’ is the sales pitch, but the Byron Bay community at least gave it a red hot go. In an emotionally charged five hours last Tuesday, community, business and the town’s youth personally affected by alcohol addressed a panel from the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR) over Dan Murphy’s plans for a large-scale booze outlet on Jonson Street. And it’s the biggest public submission the authority has ever received, the OLGR’s media spokesperson confirmed with The Echo. ‘There were 97 pre-registered attendees and 82 submissions and a petition containing 1267 names,’ he said. A submission against the proposal from state MP Don Page was also included. Plans are already under way for the store: it has council approval and a 27-year lease (at least) has just been signed, but the one last hurdle for the Woolworths subsidiary is to convince the OLGR that their licence should be granted for the town. It is planned to be located underneath the current Dendy cinema and would be twice the size of any other outlet in the area. Around 150 people attended the meeting at the Byron Bay Community Centre, and the evening commenced with Dan Murphy’s representatives demonstrating why Byron Bay needed another liquor outlet. The first of the three reps was general manager of the company, Martin Smith. He spoke lovingly of Dan Murphy’s humble beginnings in Melbourne, and proudly spoke of Woolworths’ acquisition in 1998 and subsequent expansion to its presentday operations of 163 national stores. Via overhead projector, large images of their stores, which appeared
What’s New – p18
Byron Shire Council Notices Pages 47
It’s down to the prefs
Byron forum rejects super grog-shop Hans Lovejoy
Realtor Lois Buckett profile – p48
somewhat advertorial, swept past as he tried to dispel any perception that they didn’t take responsible service of alcohol seriously. ‘We provide a pathway of exploration and discovery,’ he said, referring to the wide range of wines they stock from around the world. ‘We have the lowest prices but the widest range,’ was another line. ‘We are proud of our responsible service in diverse communities around Australia.’ Despite an endearing Scottish accent and obvious sincerity, his attempts to sway anyone in the audience failed as his presentation ended in silence. The next presentation wasn’t received any better, but gave the line of argument via large overhead graphs that alcohol consumption in Australia has declined; that Dan Murphy’s stores which opened in other towns have not led to indicated higher crime rates… and so on. The main thrust was: hey, the other operators in town may see a drop in sales, but there will not be an overall increase in consumption. Much was made of Byron’s unique tourism appeal, but as for community involvement, it was only announced that Dan Murphy’s participate with all liquor accords and is sponsoring the Byron Film Festival.
The soft parade And so began the parade: one after another, all walks of community life gave a six-minute passionate speech against allowing more accessibility to booze into the town. Those opposed were not only residents, but were aspiring mayors and councillors, the reverend from the nearby Anglican church, the Byron Bay High School counsellor, the former deputy principal of Mullumbimby High School, a town planner, a police superintencontinued on page 2
Cr Simon Richardson takes a call and votes as daughter Frida and friend Indigo Grey wait patiently. Photo Jeff Dawson Hans Lovejoy & Michael McDonald
It’s down to a very close mayoral call for Byron Shire as The Echo goes to press, with Greens Cr Simon Richardson and independent Cr Diane Woods competing on preferences in the final stages of counting. As of 3pm Monday, Cr Richardson had claimed 5,856 votes, or 37.17 per cent of the 15,755 votes counted so far. Diane Woods has claimed 4,880 votes, or 30.97 per cent of the vote counted. A surprise result for newcomer Sol Ibrahim saw him take 2,195 votes, or 13.87 per cent. Our Sustainable Future candidate Basil Cameron has 11.60 per cent of the first-preference vote at this stage,
while independent mayoral candidates Jack Sugarman and Morgan are at 4.44 per cent and 1.92 per cent respectively. On a booth-by-booth basis in the mayoral race, Richardson took six of the eight booths on first-preference votes, polling particularly strongly in Mullumbimby. Woods’s best votes were in the north of the Shire, taking the Brunswick Heads and Ocean Shores booths. On the councillor vote, the Greens took five of the eight booths, with the Woods team Group A taking Byron Bay High, Brunswick Heads and Ocean Shores. Of the formal first-preference votes at the time of going to press, the Greens had 32.74 per cent, Woods
team 31.86 per cent, and Sol Ibrahim’s Group D 14.03 per cent. Sitting councillor Basil Cameron’s Our Sustainable Future (OSF) team had nine per cent of the vote. Based on the quota ratio so far, the Woods team could have three councillors and the Greens three or four depending on how the mayoral race goes. Both Ibrahim and Cameron are likely to be councillors, and possibly Spooner as well. Full election coverage continues at www.echonetdaily.net.au and www. votensw.info. Q Read more on this subject in
netdaily
Go to echonetdaily.net.au
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